After an EMP(electro magnetic pulse) occurs, what EXACTLY is damaged to a car's electrical system?

Question

Please don't respond with "the car will not start" or "it fries the electrical system". I'm looking for the specific component(s) that is damaged by the pulse.
Also, is there anyway to protect an electrical system from this?

Answer 1

Ok, you don't want this answer, but it is the right answer.

Your electrical system is fried. No questions asked, anything running on electricity, your radio, your alternator most likely if its electric, your electric brakes, anything in your car that has electricity running through it, even your lights, would all cease to work anymore. Unless your car had a pre-1984 starter, which is most likely non-electric, your car would have just become a giant paperweight if an EMP went off.

The only way I know of protecing against an EMP is to cover your electronics in a copper mesh. From what I've heard, it dissipates the effects and causes electronics protected by it to suffer no damage.

Answer 2

It will nuke (scramble and erase) any programmable chip in the car. Usually taking out multiple modules.

For example, on a 2001 f-150 I worked on after a lightning strike (same basic principle).. It wiped the chips of the engine computer, the air bag computer, the computer that controlled many of the body electrics (Like interior lighting..need a module for them cool fade to off interior lighting), The ABS module, and the instrument cluster (which uses a computer for milage and for anti-theft starting)

and unless you can insulate from electrical strikes (which even with static discharging and other protection on the car installed) can therortically still get in thru the wiring.. you are out of luck.

Unless you drive a pre 1975 car with no computers and ignition point/condensor ignition.. then you'd have a better chance.

Answer 3

EMP is like using an extremely large magnet on your car.
It destroys anything with an electronic control device like the voltage regulator in the alternator. It does the same thing to a wrist watch. The pulse scrambles the electronic pathways in the chip.
Most cars have control modules which have electronic pathways inside, like a computer. Once these pathways are ruined the vehicle won't start.

Answer 4

Lightning will only strike a automobile if the vehicle is grounded a technique or the different, that's very almost on no account real. yet while a technique or the different this occurs, nicely then sure it ought to deplete the coil and fry any integrated electronics like the radio. i be attentive to the different guy pronounced something related to the vehicle being grounded to the floor yet that may no longer real. it extremely is grounded to itself only. Lightning travels from the floor to the sky, or not often any other way. something inbetween like wood, towers, flagpoles, could must be attatched to the floor. autos have rubber tires which insulate it from the electrical powered value, so lightning will no strike a automobile except something it extremely is conductive and attatched to the floor is touching the metallic of the vehicle.